History

A PLACE OF CONNECTION

Signal Hill holds a place in our collective histories, from Cape Town to Kowloon, California to Newfoundland. It is where ships were given safe passage into harbours. It is where fires were lit to signal between villages. It is where the world’s first transatlantic wireless signal was received in Morse Code, and the place of the first non-stop transatlantic flight carrying airmail. It is these historical embodiments of connection and communication that inspire the makings of our whisky. Where’s your Signal Hill?

Signal Hill

Situated on the highest peak adjacent to one of North America’s earliest used harbours, Signal Hill was a natural location to establish a lookout, with roots in history dating as far back as the 17th century. It is this fort that bears the stories of histories past; a location of innovation and a place of connection. Bottled in St. John’s within sight of Signal Hill (weather permitting, of course), it is our whisky that maintains these connections now and tomorrow.

Find Your Signal

Where we are bottled represents a collection of great historical moments that represent a spirit of connection. On December 12th, 1901, Signal Hill received the first reported transatlantic wireless transmission by Guglielmo Marconi. He set up his receiving apparatus in an abandoned hospital situated on the cliff facing Europe at the top of Signal Hill, in hopes to receive a signal from his Poldhu Wireless Station in Cornwall, UK. Listening through his telephone headset, Marconi heard a series of three “bips” – Morse Code for the letter S. It was here that history was made, proof that communication over great distances was possible.

Look for the Morse Code on our bottle.

Fly with Signal

It was in St. John’s, Newfoundland that the first non-stop transatlantic flight carrying airmail departed. On June 14th, 1919, the British aviators, Alcock and Brown, boarded the Vickers plane and took off from Lester’s Field, making landfall in Galway the very next day. During their journey, the electric heating suits failed, the pilots forced to bear the cold temperatures of the open cockpit. As a means to warm up, their coffee was spiked with what else but whisky!

Signals of the Past

Vinland, you may know it as Newfoundland, was the site of the first Canadian landing of the Norse people. It was 1,000 years ago that Leif Erikson and his Viking crew stepped foot on the shores of Canada bringing with them Norse mythology. Their culture has remained through the valknut symbol – a symbol for their Viking God Odin and the kingdom of Valhalla where he ruled.

Our logo is inspired by this ancient Norse symbol. The three interlocking triangles hold a great amount of meaning and have often been linked to different trinities. For us, it connects the three most vital parts of our whisky: the grains, the water and the barrels. Signal Hill lies at the heart of our trinity, which will forever stand as a symbol of the human spirit’s desire for connection.